This invention relates to high-security erasure of ordinary CD disks, CDRs and CDRWs.
CD disks include three types: ordinary CD disks, CDRs and CDRWs. These disks store data in little pits burned into a CD ROM. The information is stored in a very thin layer under the label. That stored information theoretically can be scraped off into enough pieces so that the data cannot be read. That is, the data can be mechanically disintegrated.
CDRs are also known as WORMs, i.e., Write Once Read Many. Relatively speaking, for different kinds of CD disks, deletion or erasure of data from CDRs is the most difficult to accomplish.
CDRWs are the modern equivalent of floppy disks. Actual writing is by a laser, and the stored data is covered by a metallized reflective layer which is the label. Rewriteables tend to have data come off in flakes. Also, the mirror image could come off onto the label. Flakes are big enough fragments that data can still be read.
Destruction of data from these three general categories of disks may be further complicated by the fact that particular manufacturers may use different adhesive systems, with some systems more prone to flaking upon grinding off the data. Thus, flaking is a variable problem for which provision must be made, but which is not easily solved, when undertaking data removal by grinding.
In certain applications, erasing or removing sensitive data from disks can be critical for security reasons or necessary for business reasons. As devices for putting information onto CD disks are becoming more common, so, too, the problem of how to effectively remove that stored information from the disks is becoming even more of a concern.
Certain devices for performing such data erasure are known, but respectively suffer from drawbacks.
For example, Proton Engineering Inc. has a declassification system that is a CD-ROM Eraser/Declassifier, for CD-ROMS, WORM CDs and other optical media, that according to its literature reportedly declassifies CD-ROMS in 12 seconds. It is a mini-tower of 18xe2x80x3xc3x9718xe2x80x3xc3x979xe2x80x3, 75 lbs, and its power requirements are 120 vac. 50/60 Hz., 8 amperes.
Another example of a known data-erasure device is SEM""s model 1200 weighing 75 lbs.
The DX-CDe CD destruction device is 59.4 lbs, 24xe2x80x3 high, 7.5xe2x80x3 in diameter, with electrical operation.
These declassification machines, weighing 75 lbs, almost 60 lbs and 50 lbs, disadvantageously are relatively heavy and not easily portable.
A further example is the DX-CDm(trademark) CD Destruction Device, which is a manual field portable unit that is intended for mounting on the inside wall of a vehicle, bracketed to the side of a vessel, or securely fastened to the bulkhead of an ocean going vessel. The machine is 20 lbs, 10 high, of 7xe2x80x3 diameter. The inner hub of the erased disk remains intact. The machine operates by mechanical operation with a rotating handle. An optional motor drive is included. Although this declassification machine is relatively light-weight, 30 seconds is the operating time, which may be disadvantageously long.
Another consideration introduced into this data destruction area is that in many applications the declassified disk cannot be entirely destroyed, because verification of declassification is needed for the particular exact original disk. Such verification is accomplished by a data destruction method that retains only the disk""s inner-hub which bears its identifying information, such as a serial number. A method which destroys the entire disk does not permit this verification of destruction.
There is a need, which has not heretofore been met, for a data erasure machine that declassifies CD disks that meets the following characteristics: short (e.g., less than 10 seconds) cycle time; small size (e.g., such as 10xc3x9712xc3x978 inches); pluggable into a wall outlet; light-weight (e.g., less than about 20 lbs); mechanically simple; and, capable of destroying all confidential data on the disk while maintaining intact only the inner hub of the disk, so that the serial number or identifying disk number remains visible to confirm data destruction on the original product.
After much evaluation by the inventor of potential ways to remove and handle stored material on CD disks, including evaluating cutting, grinding and destroying the whole disk, the present inventor arrived at the following inventive products for removing data from disks while leaving the inner-hub data intact and further arrived at the following inventive methods and machines.
The invention provides a method for security declassification of a disk, comprising the step of contacting a data-containing disk with a rotating cutter having a patterned surface to provide a declassified disk. In one embodiment, the contacting step provides dust. In another embodiment, the contacting step provides dust and flakes. A preferred embodiment of the invention, further comprises grinding the flakes into dust.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method wherein the declassified disk has an intact center ring. In one embodiment, the intact center ring comprises disk identifying information.
In a preferred embodiment, an inventive method wherein the cutter is cylindrical shaped is provided.
The invention provides a method wherein cutter rotation is provided by a motor.
The invention provides a method wherein the patterned cutter surface comprises a pattern selected from the group consisting of a rotary file, herring bone, cross-cut rotary file, intersecting spiral and non-cross-cut interleave file. In a preferred embodiment, the pattern is cross-cut herringbone.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides that the cutter has diameter about xc2xd inch.
The invention further provides a method wherein the cutter has a length equal to or about corresponding to an exterior data band of the disk. In a preferred embodiment, the cutter length exceeds the exterior data band.
The invention provides that in one embodiment, the cutter is operated at about 10,000-30,000 rpm.
In another embodiment, the disk is rotating while the cutter is contacting the disk.
In another embodiment, the contacting step is performed for about 3-10 seconds.
The invention provides for a method wherein a disk is declassified in as little as 3-6 seconds, to provide products consisting essentially of a declassified disk with intact center-ring and security-standard dust.
In one embodiment, the cutter is driven by a motor run on a timing cycle.
In a further embodiment, the timing cycle is initiated by an arm-actuated microswitch.
The invention provides an embodiment wherein the microswitch is triggered by the disk before the contacting step.
The invention provides a preferred embodiment which is a method further comprising the step of vacuum-collecting the dust.
In another embodiment, the inventive method further comprises capturing the flakes. In a preferred embodiment, flake capturing comprises providing a screen disposed near the rotating patterned cutter. In a most preferred embodiment, the invention further comprises grinding the captured flakes into dust.
The invention provides a method wherein the products consist essentially of a declassified disk with an intact center ring and dust.
The invention includes a method wherein the rotating cutter is provided in a desk-top, portable machine pluggable into a wall outlet.
The invention includes embodiments wherein the disk is an ordinary CD disk, a CDR and a CDRW, etc.
In one embodiment, a vacuum system is applied to hold the disk in contact with the rotating cutter having a patterned surface. In a further embodiment, the disk is held in contact with the patterned cutter surface entirely by the vacuum system.
Additionally, the invention provides a high-security, high-speed disk declassification machine, comprising a patterned-surface cutter, wherein the cutter is of length about corresponding to the exterior data band of a disk; a motor connected to the cutter for rotating the patterned-surface cutter at 10,000-30,000 rpm; and a system for capturing and positioning the disk to press the rotating patterned-surface cutter parallel to the disk with the cutter length aligned with a disk external data radius for sweeping the disk external data surface.
In one embodiment, the inventive machine weighs about 17 pounds.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a machine measuring about 8 inches high by 10 inches long by 12 inches wide.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a machine wherein the cutter-driving motor is on a timing cycle controlled by a microswitch, wherein the cycle is triggered on by a disk being inserted past the microswitch""s actuator arm.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a machine wherein the system for capturing and positioning the disk comprises a spring-loaded pinch roller. In a further embodiment, the pinch roller comprises a pinch roller (driven by a motor), squeezing the disk against a ball bearing.
The invention provides a machine wherein the system for capturing and positioning the disk comprises a means for rotating the disk being declassified. Also, the invention includes a machine wherein the means for rotating the disk being declassified comprises a roller mechanism.
Additionally, in another embodiment the invention provides a machine wherein the system for capturing and positioning the disk comprises ball bearings against which the disk to be declassified rests. A preferred embodiment positions three ball bearings in a triangle with one ball bearing positioned on a pressure arm which captures the disk to position for holding and rotating.
The invention also provides a machine wherein the system for capturing and positioning the disk comprises a pivot with a non-rotating guidepost at the bottom of the pivot, wherein the guidepost is located exactly across from the center of the roller.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a machine further comprising a brush for brushing the pinch roller.
In one embodiment of the invention, the pinch roller is easily replaceable.
In another embodiment, the invention provides for the machine to further comprise a dust collection system for collecting dust formed when the cutter contacts the disk. In a preferred embodiment, the dust collection system comprises a vacuuming system positioned near the cutter and a dust collection bag connected to the vacuuming system.
The invention provides a machine further comprising a means for flake collection disposed near the cutter. In a preferred embodiment, the means for flake collection comprises a screen.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a machine wherein the cutter is cylindrical.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a data declassification machine comprising a multi-disk processing system.
The invention also provides a production method for minimizing the size and weight of a high-speed CD-disk declassification motorized machine to as small as about 8 inches by 10 inches by 12 inches and as light as about 17 pounds, comprising the steps of: (A) providing a housing of about 8 inches high, with a base of about 10 by 12 inches, and having an opening on a side into which a CD disk may be inserted; (B) in the housing interior, securely disposing a system for capturing and positioning a CD disk, such that the capturing/positioning system is secured to the housing base; CC) mechanically connecting to the capturing/positioning system, a system for disposing a patterned-surface cutter of length about 1.52 inches with the cutter parallel to and below where the CD disk will be held by the capturing/positioning system for grinding, with the cutter length aligned with the CD exterior data band radial width; (D) to the cutter, connecting a motor for rotating cutter at 10,000-30,000 rpm; and (E) connecting a power cord to the cutter motor for establishing connection as needed to an external power source.
The most preferred embodiment of such a production method provides a CD disk declassification machine that outputs a verifiable center-ring-intact declassified CD disk.
In one embodiment of the inventive production method, the CD disk capturing/positioning system comprises a platform of about 6 inches wide by 5xc2xd inches long for supporting the CD disk during high-speeding grinding. The platform has a minimized cut-out section for the cutter under the disk to contact the CD disk data surface.
A particularly preferred embodiment provides for (1) disposing a microswitch system comprising a microswitch such that the microswitch is positioned with respect to the opening into which the CD disk is inserted to detect entry of a CD disk into the housing; and (2) electrically connecting the microswitch to a timing circuit and disposing the timing circuitry in the housing interior.
Another preferred embodiment provides for disposing a motorized vacuum dust collection system in the housing interior. The motorized vacuum dust collection system may comprise a motor separate from the cutter motor. The motorized vacuum dust collection system may comprise a dust collection bag connected to a vacuum exhaust which is connected to a vacuuming device directed to vacuum dust from where the cutter contacts the CD disk.
In another embodiment, the invention provides for the capturing/positioning system to comprise a motorized pinch roller system in which the pinch roller is positioned above and in close contact with the CD disk, and there is a pinch roller motor separate from the cutter motor and separate from the vacuum motor.
In a preferred embodiment, the motorized pinch roller system further comprises a brush disposed above the pinch roller with the brushing end contacting the pinch roller.
A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides for shaping and positioning a flake-capturing screen under the cutter and close to the cutter without contacting the cutter and also under the CD disk support, and to completely block access by flakes to the vacuum dust collection bag.